Democrats are holding out for a deal on Obamacare subsidies set to expire in December; meanwhile, Republicans have refused to negotiate on the issue until the funding measure is passed.
Three Democrats voted in favor of the GOP-backed resolution, including Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Angus King (I-ME).
During a government shutdown, thousands of federal workers are furloughed or have their pay withheld. The Trump administration has also laid off thousands of federal workers, though a federal judge has halted the order.
Senate Democrats also blocked a bill yesterday to continue funding the Pentagon.
3 weeks ago
Vance accuses Schumer of fearing AOC primary challenge
Vice President JD Vance speaking with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Vice President JD Vance said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is afraid of a primary challenge from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) in 2028, reiterating Republican claims that it is the reason he pushed to vote down GOP funding bills.
“The reality here, and let’s be honest about the politics, is that Chuck Schumer is terrified he’s going to get a primary challenge from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,” Vance said. “The reason why the American people’s government is shut down is because Chuck Schumer is listening to the far left radicals in his own party because he’s terrified of a primary challenge.”
Vance made the point during a press briefing with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday.
Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) had a similar point earlier Wednesday, saying Schumer’s fear of a primary challenge from Ocasio-Cortez is pushing him to side with the “radical wing” of the Democratic Party on the funding resolution proposals. Barrasso said Schumer is trying to prove he is “more liberal” than Ocasio-Cortez.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., holds a news conference on the 6th day of the government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Johnson is keeping the House out of session for the second week in a row during the shutdown. (Graeme Jennings / Washington Examiner)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) claimed that his delay in swearing in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) is not unprecedented.
When questioned regarding Grijalva’s swearing-in, Johnson pointed to similar delays in the past.
“I’m following the [Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)] precedent,” said the speaker. “Our dear friend and colleague [Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA)], from Louisiana, won her special election in similar circumstances. Replaced her late husband, who passed away tragically because of COVID, Luke [Letlow], our friend. Julia won the race, and Nancy Pelosi took 25 days to administer the oath to her.”
Johnson continued, “By the way, I would say to Rep. Grijalva, if her Democratic colleagues and leadership have not informed her, you can be serving your constituents right now.”
4 days ago
Mike Johnson apologizes to press for repetitive press conferences
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), joined at left by Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), gestures as he answers questions during a press conference on day 16 of the government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) apologized to the media for the repetitive press conferences since the beginning of the federal shutdown.
Speaker Johnson kicks off presser noting the Groundhog Day-type life since the shutdown:
“I just, I feel like on a day like this, at the end of another long week, I just feel like we ought to apologize. I hate that we have to do this. I don't want to be here any more than you do…
A person sits outside the Senate chamber on the ninth day of the government shutdown Washington, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)
The Senate financial clerk emailed Senate staff on Thursday to tell them they will not receive their paychecks on Oct. 20 due to the government shutdown.
Senate Democrats blocked the Republican funding bill earlier Thursday, ensuring that Senate staff will miss their next paycheck. Staffers will receive back pay at the end of the shutdown.
5 days ago
Senate heads home after Democrats dash latest shutdown offramp
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), joined at left by Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), the GOP whip, speaks with reporters about the struggle to end the government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Democrats blocked the Senate from jump-starting negotiations on military funding Thursday, denying Republicans a breakthrough as the government shutdown becomes one of the longest on record.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) peeled off some Democrats wanting to get back to a bipartisan appropriations process, using a bill to fund the War Department to win over Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and two other swing senators in a 50-44 vote.
But the support was not enough to overcome the 60-vote threshold of the filibuster, meaning that the Senate will head home no closer to reopening the government over two weeks after it first shuttered.
A collage of Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and John Thune (R-SD).
The Republican-backed “clean” continuing resolution to fund the federal government temporarily failed in the Senate for the 10th time on Thursday.
The Senate GOP did not gain any additional Democratic support for the bill this morning, continuing the deadlock that has led to a 16-day government shutdown. Three members of the Democratic caucus, Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Angus King (I-ME), persisted in voting for the Republican funding bill.
The Senate will vote this afternoon on a yearlong funding bill for the Pentagon. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) hopes to force Senate Democrats to choose between blocking pay for military servicemembers or continuing to oppose any funding that does not revive Obamacare subsidies.
5 days ago
Senate voting for 10th time on Republican funding bill
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) holds a presser in Statutory Hall on the government shutdown. (Graeme Jennings/Washington Examiner)
The Senate is voting for the 10th time on the House-passed continuing resolution. The stopgap funding bill backed by Republicans has failed to gain any additional Democratic support since the shutdown began 16 days ago.
Without any progress on continuing to fund the federal government as a whole, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is pressing for Senate Democrats to support funding the Pentagon in a vote later this afternoon.
President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office at the White House, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
The White House memorandum stated that the congressional stalemate meant troops would not receive their scheduled paychecks on October 15th. The memo continued, “This potential outcome presents a serious and unacceptable threat to military readiness and the ability of our Armed Forces to protect and defend our Nation.
Active-duty military personnel and any reserve personnel who performed active service during the pay period would receive their paychecks. These troops’ pay would be sourced from any remaining congressionally appropriated funding authorized for servicemembers’ pay.
6 days ago
Johnson downplays prospect of debate with Jeffries on C-SPAN
A collage of Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) poured cold water on the possibility of him debating House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) live on C-SPAN.
Johnson told Fox News on Wednesday that he would debate Jeffries after the government is reopened. He accused Jeffries of “engaging in political theater and stating absurd things.”
Smith: You have agreed to a debate with Jeffries on CSPAN?
Speaker Johnson: I will debate Hakeem Jeffries anytime as soon as we get the government open. pic.twitter.com/XFDrryZk4S
The House Minority Leader had said that he was looking forward to a debate with the Speaker of the House on C-SPAN’s new program, Ceasefire. Jeffries promised, “We’re going to try to get it scheduled, absolutely.”
6 days ago
Judge halts Trump’s federal worker layoffs during government shutdown
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
A federal judge issued an emergency order to temporarily halt the Trump administration’s permanent layoffs of federal workers.
The Trump administration has used threats of mass layoffs of government workers as one of its key pieces of leverage against Democrats in an effort to force an end to the government shutdown on favorable terms. On Wednesday, Susan Illston, a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, sided with two unions suing the administration to prevent the firings.
“It’s very much ready, fire, aim on most of these programs, and it has a human cost,” she said. “It’s a human cost that cannot be tolerated.”
The Senate failed to pass the Republican-backed continuing resolution for the ninth time on Wednesday, fifteen days since the start of the federal government shutdown.
The vote failed to gain any additional Democratic support, with Republicans still needing five more supporters for the bill to pass. Republicans have not peeled off any Democratic support since the shutdown began.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he will set a vote on Thursday on a one-year funding bill for the Pentagon. Democrats have not announced how they will plan to vote.
6 days ago
Bessent says federal government held ‘hostage’ by Schumer’s poll numbers
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, left, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), right. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, and AP Photo/Allison Robbert)
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is the latest to target Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for the 2025 government shutdown, saying on Wednesday that Schumer is afraid of his poll numbers.
The federal government is about two weeks into its shutdown, which the Trump administration is pinning on Democratic lawmakers for failing to make a deal to reopen the government. Bessent said there’s “a thought” that Democratic lawmakers are waiting to end this shutdown until the “crazy” No Kings nationwide protest is over on Saturday.
He added that the Pentagon turned to “surplus funds” to pay the U.S. military on Wednesday amid the shutdown. He encouraged “moderate” Democratic lawmakers to break from their party and vote to reopen the government, saying they would be “heroes.”